Who wants to WIN this Summer-Themed Coloring Set (isn’t it ADORABLE!) and a digital copy of WAITING FOR YOUR LOVE?

Even in my novellas, character is everything for me.

I sweat all the details, work my tail off with my editor to pick and choose just the right characteristics and actions and motivation and reactions will showcase the two leads and as many secondary characters as I can pack into the story ;o) Pacing and plot zoom you through what you’re reading. But in my books it’s always the characters you remember most, long after your done.

To be in the giveaway, comment about your favorite character(s) in the story you know will stay with you forever! You can also leave a comment on my Facebook Page Giveaway Post for a second chance to win!

Winner announced tomorrow, when I post the next release giveaway.

Keep checking back all week for more chances to win…

Oh, and snap up WAITING FOR YOU LOVE now for ONLY 99 CENTS! It’s already racking up 5 Star Reviews on Amazon

So how did Clair Summerville get herself into such a mess—pretend dating Conrad Lancaster of all people at her family reunion?

Clair can’t lose their life-long friendship. She and Conrad have always been there for each other, no matter how complicated their separate worlds have gotten. Now they’re playing with fire. And one of her best girlfriends, Bethany Darling (from His Darling Bride), is fanning the flames.

Of course kissing and cuddling like lovers in front of Claire’s nosy, controlling family leads to suspiciously “real” couple behavior in private. But no way can she reveal her true feelings for Conrad. Not with her survival instincts clamoring at DEFCON 1.

Clair’s desperate to cut and run, the way she has with every other guy she’s come close to trusting with her heart. Except this is Conrad. She’s been secretly in love with him and his little boy, Harper, for years. And this is Chandlerville, Georgia, where neighbors have a pesky habit of pitching in—whether you ask them to or not—to make dreams come true. Especially the dreams you want so badly, they shake you to your core.

Looks like these made-for-each-other loners have everything they need to win their long-overdue happily ever after… If only they’d risk their tender hearts one more time.

Or will Clair and Conrad lose their last chance to fight for each other’s love?

So how did Clair Summerville get herself into such a mess—pretend dating Conrad Lancaster of all people at her family reunion?

Clair can’t lose their life-long friendship. She and Conrad have always been there for each other, no matter how complicated their separate worlds have gotten. Now they’re playing with fire. And one of her best girlfriends, Bethany Darling (from His Darling Bride), is fanning the flames.

Of course kissing and cuddling like lovers in front of Claire’s nosy, controlling family leads to suspiciously “real” couple behavior in private. But no way can she reveal her true feelings for Conrad. Not with her survival instincts clamoring at DEFCON 1.

Clair’s desperate to cut and run, the way she has with every other guy she’s come close to trusting with her heart. Except this is Conrad. She’s been secretly in love with him and his little boy, Harper, for years. And this is Chandlerville, Georgia, where neighbors have a pesky habit of pitching in—whether you ask them to or not—to make dreams come true. Especially the dreams you want so badly, they shake you to your core.

Looks like these made-for-each-other loners have everything they need to win their long-overdue happily ever after… If only they’d risk their tender hearts one more time.

Or will Clair and Conrad lose their last chance to fight for each other’s love?

We’re celebrating Monday’s WAITING FOR YOUR LOVE release early with a FOUR-BOOK GIVEAWAY WIN the entire Echoes of the Heart Series to date!

To win DIGITAL copies of Here in My Heart, Let Me Love You Again, and Christmas on Bellevue Lane…and a PRINT copy of His Darling Bride–comment with the name of your FAVORITE novel series and let us know why it’s so special to you.

So many of you have not only written saying how excited you are to get your hands (and readers) on WAITING FOR YOU LOVE, but that you’re DYING to have giveaways again on the blog site (instead of only social media). AND Facebook’s making reaching my readers and fans ridiculously hard with each passing release…

SO, bets of both worlds time!

EVERY GIVEAWAY for WAITING FOR YOUR LOVE’s release (my new Echoes of the Heart novella launches next Tuesday, June 6th!) will have a blog post here, where you can comment for your chance to WIN (and for a second chance, if you also participate on my Anna DeStefano: Author Facebook Page.

Up first: a $10 Amazon Gift Card giveaway for all who PRE-ORDER WAITING FOR YOUR LOVE between now and midnight, June 5th!

To be eligible in the blog, leave a comment IN THIS POST with her Amazon Order Confirmation Number on or before midnight June 5th. You can also comment on my DeStefano: Author Facebook Page post, for an extra chance to win. Winner randomly chosen on release day from all commenters on both sites!

Then visit my blog daily
and follow me on Facebook (at my Author Page )
all next week and beyond, for more fun chances to win… (more…)

Bethany Darling doesn’t kiss men at first sight…until she falls into the arms of a handsome cowboy bartender.

A mysterious stranger, Mike helps scare off Bethany’s obnoxious ex-boyfriend. Mike’s touch feels like coming home. But Bethany’s sonot interested. Between stalled-out dreams of becoming a painter, troubles reconnecting with her sprawling foster family, and the happy chaos of her sister’s upcoming wedding, Bethany’s already in over her head. But each time she and Mike stumble across each other in small-town Chandlerville…sparks fly.

A famous photographer hiding under a Stetson, Mike Taylor recognizes Bethany as a kindred artistic spirit. Together they rekindle her passion for painting—and she inspires him in unexpected, undeniable ways. Then when Mike’s own past threatens to tear apart his present, Bethany becomes his safe place to turn.

Can these two wandering souls finally trust their hearts? Or will they run from the forever love they never expected to find?

Love Spring Weddings? And “relationships of convenience” that bloom into beautiful romances? And Heartwarming, community-basedfamily stories you can’t put down and don’t ever want to end? His Darling Bride’s spring release (on April 26th) is for you!

Tell everyone at our Facebook Holiday Celebration what makes the perfect Christmas story for you, and be in the running to win my ENTIRE Holiday Collection (all three books set in reader-favorite Chandlerville, Georgia)!

With holiday carols, glittering ornaments and lots of cheer, Marsha and Joe Dixon welcome their new granddaughter to one of their favorite traditions. Marsha’s excited to share memories of her and Joe’s heartwarming love story, to help Camille feel even more a part of the sprawling foster family her grandparents have nurtured for decades.

But Joe’s struggle to recover from his recent heart attack and bypass surgery threatens their fun, and more than just Christmas in July is at stake. If he doesn’t regain his strength and ability to provide financially and emotionally for his family, the Dixon group home might have to close. With loved ones rallying around and their treasured holiday tradition working its magic, Marsha’s convinced she can talk Joe into embracing the physical therapy he needs.

Here’s a sneak peak at how a vintage card makes
it’s way into Marsha and Joe’s story and
onto their tree inChristmas on Bellevue Lane:

“I want our babies back. I want your parents back. You three gave me the only real family I’ve ever known. Being a part of something like that finally, experiencing it for myself, how could I ask you to give up your chance, our chance, to have as big a family as we can make?”

“But . . .” I could hear it in his voice. There was a “but.” I let him ease me around the mess I’d made, until I was back in his arms. “What are you saying?”

He kissed me, and I couldn’t keep myself from kissing him back. For a few seconds. Maybe a minute. Okay, two or three minutes. Because Joe’s a good kisser, mind you. Not because I’d forgiven him yet.

“But,” I said when I came up for air, “how are we going to have a family if—”

He placed a finger over my lips. “How do you think?”

From the back pocket of his jeans, he pulled out a small white envelope and handed it to me.

“What’s this?” I stared at the word he’d written on the front, and my life opened back up.

Our life and everything we were meant to be together felt possible again.
My knees turned to jelly. I leaned into Joe’s hug as I read and reread the single word my dear, sweet husband had written.

MOM

“This is your Valentine’s present,” he said. “Open it.”

And that’s when I saw my cardinals for the first time. There were so many beautiful birds on the card, a whole family of them. They were all so happy. And he wanted them all to be mine.

Ours.

“I’m sorry it’s not bigger.” His bottomless heart was in his eyes. “I wanted a really big one. I looked all over the Hallmark. This was the only Valentine they had with birds on it that seemed right for us.”

“It’s lovely.” I held it to my chest. I still didn’t understand. “But if we can’t have babies, then how—”

“We’ll have all the babies you want.”

Joe brushed his thumb over my lips, my cheek, my eyebrow.

“Or toddlers,” he amended, “like I was when I went into foster care Or elementary-aged children or even teenagers in high school. Whoever needs us, for as long as they need us. We’ll be their second chance at a family, and they’ll be ours.”

“Fostering?”

The way Joe had grown up.

Except this time it would be Joe and me caring for young people who had nowhere else to go. And we’d make sure every single child we brought into our home knew they were loved and accepted and wanted, the way my parents had welcomed Joe into theirs.

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner.” His smile was hopeful and happy. He was looking forward again to whatever happened next, instead of fearing it.

“We’ll take care of kids like you.” I felt our new dream blooming to life.

“We’ll give them a place to belong and grow, and to learn whatever they need to. They’ll know they’ll always be welcome, even when they age out of the system or go back to their families eventually or are placed in other homes after us. No matter how old they grow, our kids will always be ours. Once a Dixon, always a Dixon. That’s the only rule I’ll insist on. We’ll decide all the rest together. We’ll wing it as we go.”

We hadn’t talked much about his experience with family services. But I knew enough to want to go back and fix all the hurt he’d somehow found the strength to endure.

“We’ll make sure they thrive.” I placed my hand over my husband’s heart, making it a solemn vow…

With holiday carols, glittering ornaments and lots of cheer, Marsha and Joe Dixon welcome their new granddaughter to one of their favorite traditions. Marsha’s excited to share memories of her and Joe’s heartwarming love story, to help Camille feel even more a part of the sprawling foster family her grandparents have nurtured for decades.

But Joe’s struggle to recover from his recent heart attack and bypass surgery threatens their fun, and more than just Christmas in July is at stake. If he doesn’t regain his strength and ability to provide financially and emotionally for his family, the Dixon group home might have to close. With loved ones rallying around and their treasured holiday tradition working its magic, Marsha’s convinced she can talk Joe into embracing the physical therapy he needs.

We’re having blast sharing what makes each of us love the communities and families of our dreams–and why I’ve created Marsha and Joe Dixon’s world to be exactly what it is in Christmas on Bellevue Lane and the rest of the Echoes of the Heart series!

Here’s another sneak peak fromChristmas on Bellevue Laneshowing the BEST of the home Marsha and Joe have created
in their group foster home!

…Oliver and Travis and Dru were standing behind Marsha.

They’d crowded the doorway of the closet like a human wall of tough love, clearly determined to help with Joe. She didn’t know whether to thank her kids, or to look for a way to tunnel out of there with husband before what looked to be an impromptu intervention got out of hand. Meanwhile Joe’s back was turned to them, and he evidently intended to keep it that way.

His strong presence filled the closet. So, how could his health still be so precarious? How could her husband not be doing whatever he had to, to fight his way back to full strength?

When he finally did turn, she saw that he was holding a roll of bright red wrapping paper. He’d set the shopping bag down at his feet. His gaze tracked past her to the kids.

“Your mother and I need a few minutes alone,” he told them.

“You and Mom need help,” Oliver responded. “You have for a while now.”

“And we’ve all tried to pitch in,” Dru hurried to add. “We tried not to let it seem like we didn’t think you two can still do everything on your own.”“But you can’t,” Travis insisted.

“And we’re done pretending otherwise,” Dru finished for him.

“Selena and I came home a little early”—Oliver crossed his arms over his chest—“to help Christmas in July come off without a hitch.”

“We’re all going to be hanging closer to home for a while.” Travis matched his brother’s determined stance. “At least until your recovery is in a better place, Dad.”

“Because we care about you both.” Dru touched Marsha’s arm near her elbow. “We plan to be here for your meeting with family services next week, too.”

With holiday carols, glittering ornaments and lots of cheer, Marsha and Joe Dixon welcome their new granddaughter to one of their favorite traditions. Marsha’s excited to share memories of her and Joe’s heartwarming love story, to help Camille feel even more a part of the sprawling foster family her grandparents have nurtured for decades.

But Joe’s struggle to recover from his recent heart attack and bypass surgery threatens their fun, and more than just Christmas in July is at stake. If he doesn’t regain his strength and ability to provide financially and emotionally for his family, the Dixon group home might have to close. With loved ones rallying around and their treasured holiday tradition working its magic, Marsha’s convinced she can talk Joe into embracing the physical therapy he needs.